In need of a miracle!

It's late and I really should be in bed. Can't seem to clear my head long enough to fall alseep though. I just got home from the hospital a little bit ago. As I sit there watching mom decline instead of get better and I pray and pray I ask the all too comon question of "why?". I don't know why and I wish I did. Scary doesn't seem to be able to describe the emotion I have right now. Everyone is praying for her and supporting her and us however they can right now. I truly appreciate everything from everyone!

It looks like before the morning comes, she will probably be put on the ventilator. She still has not been able to get her surgery yet. They don't know why after all they have done that her level of blood thinners won't go down. They are at a stand still trying to keep her from getting worse until they can get her into surgery. She still continues to get worse no matter what they do though.

Both of my brothers and my sister are here now. Our dear friend from NY will be here sunday. I hope she is able to see everyone is there for her. She says she knows she is not 100% but she is not ready to give up. However some actions show otherwise. We are very worried for her. The doctors are worried and trying to do the best they can. I believe in miracles. I pray right now and ask everyone else to help pray for a miracle for her. She has too much left to do in life to go anywhere now!

12 Years of PURE BLISS!!

Who knew that you could wake up every morning and fall in love all over again! And who knew it could go on and on like that for the past 12 years! Every morning I wake up and see Ray next to me and I am reminded of how lucky of a woman I am. September 20, 1997 were were sealed together for all time and eternity in the Toronto Temple. Yep, that's us in the picture below just walking out of the temple for the first time as

Mr. & Mrs. Forbes....YEAH! :)

How did we meet?

ldssingles.com....Ya, I know! Still seems wierd when we actually say it out loud "We met online!" But let me share a little something with you. I was from a very small branch and stake. Singles were few let me just put it that way. I was a senoir in high school still. I had just turned 19. When i met him online and found out he lived close to me it was simply a "that's cool. Someone to go to the activities with" He was everything I was NOT looking for!!!

Return missionary?---NO

My age?---NO

Non-military?---NO

Worthy priesthood holder?---YES

Member?---YES

Gets along fabulously with family?---YES

(after a few background checks from my dad that worked on the post he was stationed on:)

OK, so the list goes on and there seems to be a few more yes than no answers...but the no answers were a big deal to me at the time! Not to mention, there was another girl online that was very fond of him as well as him for her. Nope, not interested in dating whatsoever! So we hooked up at the next singles pot-luck dinner and fireside at the stake. Now, keep in mind, the only picture I ever saw of him was in his full Marine dress uniform, hat on and and the picture was a full shot about 1 1/2 inches tall on the computer monitor! He had an advantage because he had my senior picture that was a face shot. So blah, blah, blah....we meet, we talk and next thing I know, he starts riding home with my dad from the military post more and more often.

When did we know?

I can't name the exact moment, but it was pretty quick. We met online April 24th, the day after my 19th birthday. By mid-May we were exclusive.

Engagment?

On June 14th we went for a drive to go to the 1000 Island Sky Deck with my parents. 400 foot high sky deck! Mom isn't all that into heights so she stayed in the car. Dad went up with us and back down alone. After dad left he got down on one knee and proposed. How could I say no 400 feet up in the air??!! Somehow my parents knew it was going to happen. I think a little birdy told them! We looked over the edge and they had "Say yes" written on top of the van...lol

That was a saturday and monday was my last day of school. Weird, I know! So I got to go back to school with my new engagment ring on. One of my dear friends kept dragging me around and showing everyone. She was too funny!

We flew to Salt Lake for a big 4th of july picnic for the singles online. We were one of 2 engaged couples from there. The site was still pretty new when we met. Now it is huge! You can still read our success story somwhere around page 260. And of course, by September 20th we were married. And yes, all in 1997!I can't explain the love that grows for each other more and more each day. I only wish everyone could experience it! It truly has been 12 years of pure bliss being married to each other! We are looking forward to many more!

1 Week Down...Many more to go!

The last post was about mom's incident and how she come back home to our place to recover. Didn't sound like it was a big deal thing, right? Boy were we wrong and so were th doctors!

By sunday evening mom had gotten really bad. By monday morning we had her back in an ambulance on her way back to the emergency room. After a very short period of time we found out she had a fractured spine, fluid around her lungs, stats were all over the charts for her breathing and heart. Rough shape! After poking and prodding and running a slue of tests they admitted her into the critical care wing. Not quite ICU, but one step down.

She was in a lot of pain so they gave her a morphine pump. It has helped tremendously! She was scheduled for surgery on her spine today, but due to her condition, she wasn't quite ready to undergo it yet. She's had a few good days and a few bad ones this week. She still is not eating. She's drinking very little. So she is on constant i.v. fluids. She is very weak and will be for a while. The internal bleeding that they weren't sure where it was coming from seems to have subsided for the most part. Today was one of her better days overall. The past couple she has been so exhausted and in so much pain she just kept syaing she couldn't do it anymore. Today she was much more positive.

So the surgery will hopefully be monday. There are a lot of pros and cons to look at. Biggest concern is she could become paralized with or without the surgery. At this point the fracture is a lot worse than initially expected. All she has to do is move wrong. Not that she is doing any moving on her own at this point. Of course with her heart condition and her lungs and age in general it's all a risk.

So after surgery she will be in a back brace for quite some time. They fitted her and got it up to her room the next day. She will be in the hospital for a while and then moved to a 24/7 care facility where she will recieve everything she needs including her many hours of physical therapy.

Dad is alright. He's frustrated he can't be doing more. He started back up his radiation wednesday and has done well so far. 3 rounds down, 7 more rounds to go. Right now it is important that he gets rest which he isn't doing very well at with everything going on.

The rest of us have our good days and our bad. Sometimes it just hits us all at once and a perfectly fine day for no reason can turn upside down. Luckily, I think overall, the good have outweighed the bad for the most part.

I can't thank everyone enough for the thoughts and prayers sent our way! The meals provided for our family. The phone calls and visits. The cards and little notes left in moms room from visitors that don't want to wake her. We read them all to her. Everyone checking in on us and her and dad. It means a lot to us and I know it is a bog part of what has helped get us through it so far!!

Another reason to be thankful!

Mom got the stare down and had to be reminded she's not as young as she use to be! After her adventure yesterday, we are grateful we had the chance to do that!

You wouldn't think that just by getting out of your car to check your mail that you could be harmed. Well, as mom stepped out of her car as it slipped out of gear. Both feet were already out so as the car rolled away, she tried holding on and jumping back in to stop it. She ended up getting dragged about 15 ft down the gravel road before she dropped. Her van then rolled into the side of her neighbors home.

We can't be thankful enough that it did not roll over her! She did get quite bruised up and a bad case of road rash from her forehead and nose all the way down to her toes. Her ribs and back are in a lot of pain. After being taken to the hospital in the ambulance, they released her for whatever mental reason they were thinking! We brought her to our place to watch over her the next few days. It was a long night last night but she is finally sleeping somewhat peacefully.

So many people have been praying for her and our family. I can't thank you enough for it! I know without them, we would not be able to be as strong as we need to be during this time. I ask for continued prayers for her and dad. He starts his radiation today for his spine. We'll find out at the appointment how long he will have to go through it this time.

Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you!

Spider Doctor

Jerrud was taking a shower a couple nights ago. He came out saying how he found a daddy long leg spider in the shower and he saved it.

Me: "That was nice of you Jerrud. Just let him go outside now."

Him: "I can't because I think he hurt his leg! I put him in this box."

I look at a show box bin where there is a cup a stick and a leaf. I go on and try to convince him it would be better for him to be put back outside so he can home.

Him: "But he can't walk good enough! I think his leg is broken."

Me in my sincerest tone...sorta....: "Well, it's not like be can fix his leg! just put him outside."

Him: "Maybe I could get some toothpicks and we can find some small string and make him a
splint!"

At this point I am thinking of how proud I am of my little scout and his knowledge in first aid. At the same time I'm trying to figure out how to tell him it won't work and the spder REALLY needs to go back outside! I finally convince him that it's not possible. I try and explain to him the logic of anything we have would be too heavy for the little spiders leg. Eventually he is convinced to put it back outside. He watched it crawl away in the crack.

He was sitting eating breakfast with Corbin the following morning. He says "I wonder how little guy is doing?" Evidently he named the spider Little Guy. Then they proceeded to have an entire conversation about this spider. I just sat and listened to their cuteness :)

OK!!! OK!!!

A certain someone, who's name I won't mention, keeps reminding me of how I never update my blog. Soooooo, here it is :) Sorry, nothing too exciting. Just everyday life :)

Kids are back in school so things are pretty quiet around here during the day's now. They are in week 3 already! It has gone by so fast! They are all doing really well so far. It seems so strange having only 3 in school!

Tommy is getting excited that he is in 11th grade now. Getting the senior year itch already. So as most people know, we have the option of wether to keep him in school til he's 21. We'll decide when the time comes which way we'll go. He just turned 18 on the 8th. We are doing his birthday saturday. He wants a firetruck cake. I'll post pics later.

Jerrud is in 5th grade this year! I can't believe he will be in middle school next year! I'm terrified!! He's excited of course :) And then he'll be in young mens.....breathe.....Time really does fly with your children!

Corbin is a 4th grader. He loves his teacher! He got to see all the fun stuff Jerrud got to make last year and he's anxious to do everything too. Lot's of hands on in 4th grade so it is perfect for him!

It seems like every year the school year goes by faster and faster. Life in general goes by faster every year. It makes me think about how important it is to not waste time with your family. To treasure them because they will grow up and leave home faster than you think!